insiderseattle
New contemporary Asian themed restaurant coming to Bellevue thanks to partnership with visionaries behind Buddakan, Tao, and China Grill.
BELLEVUE, Wash., July 16, 2019 — Fortress Development (www.fortressdevelopment.com) today announced the latest addition to the lineup for Avenue Bellevue (www.liveatavenue.com), the luxury condo, hotel and retail development planned for the heart of downtown Bellevue on the northwest corner of Bellevue Way and NE 8th Street – a new Asian contemporary restaurant and bar called BUDDHAzen.
The restaurant and bar are developed by the same team behind Buddakan and Asia de Cuba in NYC, and China Grill. Designed by Hospitality Alliance in conjunction with Hirsh Bedner Associates (HBA), BUDDHAzen diners can expect the same stylistic decor, inventive menus, and imaginative cocktails enjoyed at Buddakan, Tao, and more when the restaurant opens in late 2021. Avenue Bellevue architects enlisted famous Chinese Feng Shui Grand Master Huang Dao, who worked on the Forbidden City and the Beijing National Olympic Stadium (called the Bird’s Nest), to help guide the architecture team on the spiritual importance of water features in key locations which will be seen and enjoyed within the restaurant and bar areas.
The 11,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar will offer vast, varied seating options including private dining spaces, like the prominently placed pagoda, as well as a wine tasting room, grand staircase and lounge area complete with DJ booth. BUDDHAzen will ensure delicious dining and delectable nightlife options for residents of Avenue Bellevue’s two condo towers, guests in the property’s InterContinental® Hotel, and the city of Bellevue.
“BUDDHAzen combines beautiful architecture, rich décor, luxury experiences, delicious dining, and an enchanting nightlife experience for guests to enjoy and come back to time and again,” said Andy Lakha, Principal and CEO of Fortress Development. “The BUDDHAzen restaurant, bar, and lounge pays homage to my South Asian heritage and the distinctive dining experiences I’ve enjoyed at Buddakan, Asia de Cuba, and China Grill with my family and friends. I’m looking forward to sharing this unique dining and nightlife space with the city of Bellevue and Avenue Bellevue residents in 2021.”
BUDDHAzen is the second restaurant announced so far for Avenue Bellevue’s 100,000 square feet of high-end retail, food and nightlife planned for the development, which will also include Angler Bellevue (www.anglerrestaurants.com), the sealife-focused restaurant from 3-Michelin star chef Joshua Skenes which recently earned its first Michelin Star at the San Francisco location.